Turning That "Time of the Month" Into Profit

A new start-up called PMS.com recently launched - yes, PMS.com. And it stands for exactly what you might think it stands for.

The idea is simple. Tampons, feminine wipes and PMS pain relief tablets are delivered to you every month for $15. No more forgetting to buy period prep items before it’s too late, or making that emergency run to the drugstore to awkwardly buy them from the handsome checkout guy when all you want to do is be home in your sweatpants crying and watching The Notebook.

When I heard about PMS.com, I couldn’t wait to try it. Running Chic CEO and contributing to Forbes, among a dozen other projects, I am lucky that I remember everything for my meetings, let alone remembering to buy something as mundane as a box of tampons. It seems that I’m not alone.

In the first two weeks after launching PMS.com, the company’s CEO, Erin Gargan, says they've already signed up nearly 500 customers. I just had to interview her.

Chic CEO: What’s the story behind PMS.com?

Erin Gargan: My other company is an all-female social media marketing agency called Socialite. Working closely with that many women for clients like the Oscars and Nelson Mandela’s Children’s Hospital, our menstrual cycles synched up. We never had tampons at the office because we were always too busy to buy them or just forgot. We’d be running into a huge presentation trying to scrounge up enough supplies for all of us. One of our clients showed me the Dollar Shave Club video, which sends razors to guys every month, and I thought it was genius. Creating a similar concept of delivering period prep items to women was a no-brainer. I couldn’t wait to launch PMS.com just so I could sign up for it myself.

Chic CEO: What was it like on launch day?

Erin Gargan: Honestly, it was nuts. I thought we’d be lucky to get one order, let alone the 50 that somehow came in! At first it was just my best girlfriends ordering it but then names I’d never heard of starting popping up on the order screen and I could not believe it.

Chic CEO: How long have you been working on this idea?

Erin Gargan: The concept, products, paperwork and website took about six months from brainstorming to launch. I wanted to test the idea to see if I was just completely irresponsible or if there were actually other women out there like me who were so busy they consistently forgot to buy period prep items month after month.

Chic CEO: So what comes in the box?

Erin Gargan: 15 regular absorbency tampons and 15 aloe vera scented feminine wipes called Tutu Towels. They are like baby wipes for big kids, and they feel amazing. You also get a box of 16 PMS Pain Relief Tablets. The active ingredient in the “Help I Need Help” pills is ibuprofen, and they are specially formulated to combat the aches and pains we get pre-period. It costs $15 a month, but your first month is free so you can make sure you love us before you are charged anything. Your box is delivered every month before your selected date, so you never have to worry about remembering to buy tampons again.

Chic CEO: When I first read about your “Helping Those in Bleed” program, I laughed at the name, but it seems that this initiative is anything but a joke. How does it work?

Erin Gargan: 10% of our net profits are donated to a different dynamic women’s organization each month. From providing feminine products and health screenings to cancer research and violence/abuse prevention, we are passionate about supporting female empowerment causes of all kinds. Organizations that would like to be considered for a donation can apply on our website or Facebook page.

Chic CEO: What else do you hope to accomplish with PMS.com?

Erin Gargan: Besides making women’s lives easier every month by mailing them tampons, I’m committed to opening up a broader, authentic dialogue around women’s menstrual health.